Latch



June 4, 1940. l G. E. RoEDDlNGf 2,203,341

' LATCH 'Filed Jah. 7. 1959 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 4, 194

LATCH Gordon E. Roeddins. Grand Rapids, Mich., as-

'signor to Grand Rapids Brass Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of -Michigan Application January 7, 1939, Serial No.. 249,683

Claims.

The present invention relates to latches for the door closures of refrigerators and the like; and its object, generally, is to provide improved vmeans for operating such latches, i. e., for re- 5 tracting the latching boltsthercof, which means may be readily operated by manualmovements in various different directions; and more particularly, to provide improved mechanism for thus operating such latches.

This and any other and more specific objects hereinafter appearing are attained by, and the finvention nds preferable embodiment in, the illustrative latch structure particularly described in the body of this specification and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view ofa latch structure -mounted on a door closure;

' Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof 'f (enlarged) taken on line 2 2 of-Figure l;

taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2;-

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional View thereof taken on line 4 4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a like sectional view of certain portions of the same but showing the parts in a different position;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of portions of the same, similar to Figure 2 but showing the parts in a different position;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view thereof, similar to Figure 6 but showing said parts in another different position;

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of portions of the same taken on line 8 8 of Figure 7.

The latch structure illustrated by these drawings includes a preferable form of my means for operating a latch (i. e., for retracting its latching bolt) and also one particular type of latch illustrating its operation by said means.

The latching bolt I of this latch is slidable, outwardly fory operatively engaging its keeper 2 on the door jamb 3 as shown in Figure 4 and reversely for retracting the bolt as shown in Figure 5, by means of a toggle comprising the arms 4, 5 connected by a pin 6 turnable and slidv 20 Figure 3 is a 'vertical sectional view of the same able in the slot bearing 1 of arm 5 (as best seenl gagingthe flanges I9 of the toggle arm 5 for turning this arm outwardly to break the toggle by the movement of the slide toward its position seen in Figure 5.

A stiff spring 20 pressing between the bottom 6 of arm 5 vand the pin 6 serves to hold the toggle in its unbroken position when the closure is slammed shut and the extremity of the latch bolt rides upon the keepers incline 2l.

. My means for retracting the latch bolt com- 10 prises an operating lever handle turnable as hereinafter described, and means operatively intermediate this lever handle and connected with the bolt for retracting the' same by the lever handles turning movement.. `In the illustrated l5 embodiment of the invention, the loperating lever 22 has an outer handle arm 23, an inner arm 24 and a medial ball portion 25 turnably bearing in an annular ball-.bearing socket member 23 seated -in the cylindrical recess 2l inthe inner side of 20 the -lever handles mounting plate 28 through which the lever extends.

'Ihisball portion has an opening extending horizontally therethrough with elongated parallel side walls 29 as shown in Figures 2, 6 and '7, 25 and end walls'30 which diverge outwardly from the ball portions center as best seen inliigure 3. A fulcrum pin 3|, mounted at its ends in openings in the opposite sides of the socket member and of the recess, extends diametrically, hori- 30 zontally through the ball portions said opening, this pin bearing turnably and slidably on the openings walls in the various turning movements of the lever handle.

The inner arm 24 of this lever handle has at 35 its opposite sides respectively a pair of bearings, preferably the anti-friction rollers 33, 331 turnable on the ends of a spindle 34 extending through said arm; and the illustrated means for retracting the latch bolt comprises also a lever element 40 35 fulcrumed at 36 on whose lower arm 31, which is pressed inwardly by a spring 38, is pivoted a short rod 39 extending through an opening 40 in the slide Il and havingr shoulders 4|, 4U adapted to engage the slide for moving the same. 5

The other (the upper) arm 42 of this lever 35 has a bearing surface or cam 43 on which bear both or either of the rollers in the operating levers turning movements, as hereinafter explained. This cam surface is inclined, as illustrated, relatively to the arcual direction of the movement of the upper arm's 42 (i. e. the rollers) when moved by the turning of the lever handle.

It will be seen that the operating lever is so mounted that by drawing its handle outer arm 23 outwardly from the face oi' the closure both rollers Will be made to ride up on the inclined cam surface A3 of lever 35 and thus turn this lever from its normal or rest position seen in Figure 2 toward the position shown in Figure 6, thus moving the slide i1 outwardly for breaking the toggle and retracting the latch bolt; or the lever handle may be turned either way parallelly with the closure so that one or the other roller (as the case may be) will be made to ride up on said inclined surface or cam as shown in Figure 7 thus moving the slide outwardly for breaking the toggle and retracting the latch bolt. In this Figure '7 the lever handles arm 23 is shown turned parallelly with the closure and toward the viewer, thus causing the roller 33 to thus ride up on the cam surface 63, the other roller 331 merely idling.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims, is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings or hereinbefore described.

I claim:

l. A means for operating a latch bolt, comprising: a ball socket having a diametrical fulcrum pin; an operating lever handle having a ball portion turnably bearing in the socket, said portion having an opening therethrough with parallel side walls and end walls diverging outwardly from said portions center, in which opening the fulcrum pin bears; and a pivotally mounted unitary element operative intermediate the lever handle and the latch bolt turnable for retracting the latch bolt by the turning movement of the handle.

2. A means for operating a latch bolt, cornprising: an operating lever handle fulcrumed for opposite turning movements and turning movement at right angles thereto, and having rollers at its opposite sides respectively; and a lever connected with the latch bolt and having a cam, both rollers bearing on the cam in the handle levers last mentioned turning movement and the rollers respectively bearing on the cam in the lever handles opposite turning movements re- 4. A means for operating a latch bolt, comprising: an operating handle mounted for opposite turning movements and turning movement at right angles thereto, having laterally spaced bearings; and an element mounted for turning movement relatively to the handle, connected with the latch vbolt and having a cam, both of said bearings bearing on the cam in the handle's last-mentioned turning movement and said bearings respectively bearing on the cam in the handles opposite turning movements respectively.

5. A means for operating a latch bolt, comprising: an operating leverfulcrumed medially thereof for opposite turning movements and turning movement at right angles thereto, having a handle arm and an arm with bearings at its opposite sides respectively; and a lever element fulcrumed for turning movement parallelly with the operating levers last-mentioned movement, said lever element being operatively connected with the latch bolt and having a cam arm, both of the operating levers bearings bearing on the cam arm in the operating levers lastmentioned turning movement and said bearings alternately bearing on the camarm in the operating levers said opposite turning movements respectively, for retracting the latch bolt.

GORDON E. ROEDDING. 

